NEW DELHI: Each minute of running Parliament during sessions costs the exchequer Rs 2.5 lakh. This was reminded by the government to the Oppostion as the monsoon session of parliament was almost completely washed out over the controversy on coal block allocations with BJP insistent on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's resignation. "In one year, Parliament runs for eighty days during sessions. Each day, business in both Houses are transacted for around six...

HYDERABAD: The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has sanctioned Rs.90 crore for constructing 31 multi-level function halls in the city. GHMC commissioner Somesh Kumar on Friday issued orders inviting tenders for the projects. The tender process will be completed by August 10 and work will start immediately. Each three-storeyed hall in an area of 2,000 square feet will be constructed at a cost of Rs.2.5 crore to Rs.3 crore and will have a capacity of 1,000...

MUMBAI: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Wednesday said that it had made all arrangements to ensure uninterrupted continuation of normal services rendered by it. In a release, the apex bank stated that its critical payment systems such as RTGS system and Negotiated Dealing System (NDS) would function normally today. All auctions, including liquidity adjustment facility and treasury bills would be conducted as scheduled and the financial markets would be closely monitored, the RBI...

NEW DELHI: Congress chief Sonia Gandhi today could not attend a function to release a commemmorative stamp in the memory of late party veteran Shyamacharan Shukla here as she is indisposed. Highly placed sources said Gandhi developed "mild fever" in the morning and, hence, her scheduled visit to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's official residence at 7, Race Course Road to participate in the function did not take place. Regretting Gandhi's absence, Uma...

CHANDIGARH: In wake of the seven-day state mourning observed nation-wide in honour of former President A P J Abdul Kalam, Punjab Government today postponed its annual state-level function to mark the martyrdom day of Shaheed Udham Singh. The function was scheduled to be held on July 31. A fresh date for the state-level function would be announced later even though Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal would pay homage to the great martyr at Sunam on the solemn occasion on July...

NEW DELHI: Whistleblower bureaucrat Sanjiv Chaturvedi , who has been selected for the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay award, today expressed disappoinment over functioning of the PMO and said he was able to "survive" only because of an "independent judiciary". "There should be a zero tolerance against corruption not against honest officers. I am disappointed with the functioning of PMO as I worked with policy of zero tolerance as espoused by the Prime Minister. I took this...

NEW DELHI: Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju today participated in the International Yoga Day celebration by performing several asanas at Visakhapatnam. "Minister Raju performed various asanas at Visakhapatnam's port stadium for more than an hour," an official said, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Mahesh Sharma also took part in a yoga function in Noida. "Sharma participated in the celebration at the Noida Stadium, where...

MUMBAI: Republican Party of India chief Ramdas Athawale today termed as "disgraceful" the decision of Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan not to attend a function of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Nagpur. "Whatever the chief minister has done is very wrong. But he knows that he will not remain on the chair after Assembly elections, and that is why he has forgotten all state protocols. His decision is a disgrace on Maharashtra," said Athawale,...

CHANDIGARH: In wake of the seven-day state mourning observed nation-wide in honour of former President A P J Abdul Kalam, Punjab Government today postponed its annual state-level function to mark the martyrdom day of Shaheed Udham Singh. The function was scheduled to be held on July 31. A fresh date for the state-level function would be announced later even though Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal would pay homage to the great martyr at Sunam on the solemn occasion on July...

NEW DELHI: With Parliament being stalled for the second consecutive day today, the government appealed the Opposition parties to allow the Houses to function to enable discussion on important issues including financial agenda. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Shukla said the Opposition has the right to raise issues but should allow Parliament to function. "I would only request the parties concerned that they should allow the Houses to...

VADODARA: Congress today accused that a school here suspended six students for not remaining present for a function on February 14 where Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a stadium. City unit of Congress submitted a memorandum to the District Education Officer today, demanding action against Navrachna School in this regard. City Congress chief Narendra Rawat said the school even changed the its working hours that day, and teachers...

NEW DELHI: Amid continuous disruptions by opposition members, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan has convened an all-party meeting tomorrow to discuss better functioning of the Lok Sabha, proceedings of which have been virtually washed out in the Monsoon Session so far. Sources in Parliament insisted that the meeting was not to "break the deadlock" in the House as it is the duty of the government and not that of the presiding officer. The meeting...

KOLKATA: President Pranab Mukherjee will be the chief guest on reigning I-League champions Mohun Bagan's 125th year celebration, which will be held on August 22. The green and maroon brigade had been celebrating their annual day on July 29, their most important date in the history to mark their historic IFA Shield triumph over East Yorkshire Regiment on the same day in 1911. But they had to alter the date after the President gave his consent to attend the...

SHILLONG: Former President A P J Abdul Kalam was today admitted to a hospital here following sudden illness. Kalam (84) took ill at a function here and was rushed to the hospital, M Kharkrang, SP Khasi Hills, said.

BENGALURU: Former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda has slammed the Congress for stalling Parliament for over a week, seeking the resignations of external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, and BJP chief ministers Vasundara Raje Scindia and Shivraj Singh Chouhan. In an exclusive interview to Sowmya Aji of ET, Gowda said by doing this, the Congress was taking away from members like himself the liberty to raise even burning issues like farmers suicides. Gowda will participate in a relay...

PATIALA: Activists of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD-Amritsar) today raised pro-Khalistan slogans during an address by Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal , who cautioned against attempts to foment sectarian divide and fanaticism. The Chief Minister was presiding a function for installation of chair of Bhagwan Parshu Ram at the Punjabi University . Two persons of SAD-A, identified as Sarup Singh Sandha and Rajindr Singh...

NAGPUR: Maharashtra Minister for Employment Guarantee Scheme Nitin Raut today defended the boycott of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two functions here by the Democratic Front government and described Centre's attitude as "assault on federal structure" of the country. The district guardian minister who was supposed to share dias with Modi at Nagpur Metro Rail project at Kasturchand Park ground yesterday, said that Chief Minister Prithviraj...

NEW DELHI: Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, who was the cynosure of all eyes at the UPA anniversary function last year, was conspicuous by his absence tonight. Instead, the pride of place was taken by BSP's Satish Chandra Mishra and Brajesh Pathak who did not attend the presentation of the 'Report to the People' but came in time for dinner. No leader or MP from Samajwadi Party was present at the function. Congress managers, however, downplayed the...

NEW DELHI: Accusing the government of "arrogance and obduracy", Congress today put the onus on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for functioning of Parliament after a near washout of Monsoon Session's first week with opposition adamant on resignation of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and two BJP Chief Ministers. "Culpability and gross abuse of office in helping Lalit Modi , the Indian fugitive, by both Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara...

LUCKNOW: Rejecting allegations that opposition was not allowing Parliament to function, CPI(M) today said it was the government that was doing so and reminded BJP of the yardstick it used during 2G scam. "If there is anyone which is not allowing Parliament to function, it is this government...BJP had the same position during the 2G scam when the entire winter session 2010 was washed out on similar demand ... we are asking why the BJP is not using the same yardstick...